


Unfinished Business

by Kaychan87



Series: Unfinished Business [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Character Death, F/M, First Love, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, No Smut, Past Relationship(s), Reggie Needs a Hug (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie's Neighbours, Unfinished Business, crossing over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:15:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27652612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaychan87/pseuds/Kaychan87
Summary: After successfully haunting Bobby, the guys learn that he stole more than just Luke's lyrics - He also stole Reggie's girlfriend. Reggie is left with his memories and so many questions. After breaking Caleb's curse, Reggie makes it his mission to get his answers and find out how he lost his first love to Bobby.
Relationships: Bobby | Trevor Wilson/Original Female Character(s), Past Alex Mercer/Luke Patterson (Julie and The Pantoms), Reggie Peters (Julie and The Phantoms)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Unfinished Business [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2050512
Comments: 13
Kudos: 33





	1. 1

"Hey Julie," Reggie said as they were all leaving Bobby's stupid mansion. "Who's this?" The bass player motioned at the lone personal photograph in Bobby's room that was of someone other than Carrie or himself.

"Oh, that? That's Lucy," the young woman replied after inspecting the picture.

She had turned to leave so fast she hadn't noticed Reggie freeze, a look of horror on his face. "Lucy?" he practically squeaked in a voice higher than Alex's nervous tone.

"Yeah, she was friends with my mom," Julie answered without looking back. "She was Trevor's wife."

Reggie's jaw dropped open while Luke and Alex shared a concerned look. It hadn't taken them long to connect the dots and it worried them.

~*~

The first time Reggie had met Lucy Meyerson, they had been five and playing at the beach across from his house. He had asked her if she was a bastard and she had kicked him in the shin before running off in tears. An hour later, she was at his door with her mother. Reggie had never seen anyone yell at his parents the way Lucy's mom had. He'd expected to be told he could never play with the girl again. Instead, he was invited over for lunch the next day. It had been the first time he had ever been inside his neighbours' home and it had been the first time he'd seen a truly happy family.

And that summer had been the first of many with Lucy Meyerson. He'd learned that while her parents weren't together, she got to spend all her holidays from school with her father and his family at her grandparents’ house. He looked forward to her visits because it meant he became part of the family the whole time Lucy was in town. When they weren't spending time on the beach, Mr. Meyerson would bring them along to whatever movie studio he was working at or they would go out and about with her Aunt Elise. And as they got older, Reggie had finally introduced her to Luke and Alex and Bobby.

Reggie’s whole body tensed at the thought of Lucy and Bobby and he kicked angrily at the sand beneath his feet. He’d needed a moment to himself, to think, after finding that picture of Bobby and Lucy and a baby. He hadn’t intended to go to the beach where their houses used to be. The spot held so many memories. Reggie had seen his first bass in Elise’s music room. The summer they’d been thirteen, Reggie had his first kiss in front of his house and Alex and Luke. He’d confessed his feelings to a girl for the first time after almost electrocuting himself fixing his amp in the rain in that spot. And now, much like the houses, that was all gone and all Reggie was left with was a few cherished memories.

~*~

“So you’re telling me that not only did Carrie’s dad steal your lyrics, but he stole Reggie’s girlfriend too?” demanded Julie after Luke explained why Reggie hadn’t returned home with them. Luke and Alex both nodded grimly. “Poor Reggie,” sighed Julie.

“No kidding,” agreed Luke. “Luce never even really liked Bobby and then she goes and marries him?”

“You remember when she gave him the bass when we were kids?” Alex asked Luke as he sat down at his drums.

“Dude. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Reggie cry more than he did when he saw it,” replied Luke.

“The red and white one he uses?” Julie asked as she sat as well.

“Yeah. Before that he was using some old, second hand one we found in a pawn shop,” Luke told Julie

“That was his first kiss, too,” Alex mused, remembering the awkward moment.

“And the day Sunset Curve was born!”

“What about the day Sunset Curve was born?” Reggie asked as he appeared in the garage, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket.

Julie, Alex, and Luke all shared a look before Luke approached their friend. “Just that it was the most awesome day ever.” Luke hesitated a moment before he dropped an arm around Reggie’s drooped shoulders. “You okay, bro?”

“Yeah,” Reggie said with a smile - though it didn’t reach his eyes like his smiles normally did. “Hey Julie, you said your mom was friends with Lucy? Do you… do you think we could go see her some time?”

Julie couldn’t help cringing when she saw the hopeful look on Reggie’s face as he asked. “I’m sorry Reggie,” she apologized, flashing him a sympathetic smile. “Lucy Wilson died.”

~*~

_**February, 1994** _

Reggie kept playing with his tie and the collar of his white button down dress shirt. He hated formal wear with a passion and wearing it was the worst form of torture he could think of. But he couldn’t exactly show up to a funeral in his flannel and leather jacket. He doubted Lucy would care but he did. He owed Nana Meyerson more respect than that for treating him like pat of the family for almost eleven years.

“Stop playing with your tie, you’re going to mess it up again!” Alex hissed quietly before reaching over to straighten Reggie’s tie again.

“I can’t help it!” Reggie whined as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his dress slacks and let Alex fuss over him. He was nervous and sad and a little excited all at the same time. It’d been only a month since he’d last seen Lucy, but it had felt like a lifetime ago. He hated that it had to be because of a funeral, hated that her beloved grandmother was the one they were there to mourn. She’d been sick for months, but they had all been optimistic at Christmas that she had a lot more time left with them.

“Don’t be such a baby,” chided Luke even as he began to tug at his own shirt collar. Alex had been unable to convince him to wear a tie to the funeral, but Luke hated formal clothes just as much as Reggie did.

“You’re one to talk!” Reggie almost yelled.

Bobby rolled his eyes. “Guys, chill. Lucy just walked in!” he informed his bandmates. The four of them turned at the same time to see Lucy and her mom walking toward them.

Reggie took one look at her tear stained face and was closing the distance between them before he even realized it. Lucy’s arms snaked around his shoulders and she just buried her face against him. His hands were running up and down her back soothingly as he felt her shaking against him. Luke, Alex, and Bobby weren’t far behind him.

“Thank you for being here today, Reggie,” Lucy’s mom said softly. “I know Carol loved you like a grandson.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Ms. Montgomery,” Reggie said in return, his voice trembling slightly.

“I’m still just ‘Liz’,” the older woman reminded Reggie as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “Even on a day like today.”

Lucy pulled back from Reggie slightly to smile at her mother. “Can I have a minute alone with the guys, Mama?” she asked.

Liz smiled adoringly at her daughter, bringing her hand from Reggie’s shoulder to smooth down Lucy’s hair. “Of course Darling. I need to see how your father and Elise are doing. You all come join us when you’re ready.”

The boys murmured a chorus of ‘thank yous’ to Liz before she went to find her ex and his sister. Once she was gone, Alex, Luke, and Bobby enveloped Reggie and Lucy in a group hug. “I can’t believe you all got dressed up and came,” Lucy told them with a sniffle. She reached out and fixed Reggie’s tie, having messed it up when she threw herself into his arms.

“Of course we came,” Luke said. He awkwardly placed a hand on Lucy’s shoulder and gave it a gentle but firm squeeze. “Your grandma was awesome.”

“I mean, she always let us come over no matter how crazy Reggie and Luke got,” added Alex.

Bobby nodded. “And she had the best snacks.”

Lucy smiled softly at her four friends before she tugged on Luke’s shirt sleeve. “She’d have some snappy comment about seeing you in a shirt with sleeves,” she joked before wiping at her eyes.

Luke snorted. “Dude, shut up.”

“She’s not wrong,” chuckled Reggie.

Luke reached around Lucy to playfully shove Reggie. “Bro, like you can talk? Nana would laugh at you for looking like such a dork.”

“Yeah, well, she’d tell you to go brush your hair because you look ridiculous without your hat!” Reggie fired back with a laugh. He quickly shoved Luke back, squishing Lucy between them.

Bobby turned away from them, pretending he didn’t know them, while Alex just sighed and looked embarrassed. “This is a funeral, guys.”

“Your dad’s waving us over, Luce,” Bobby said without turning around. He and Alex began to walk towards the front of the church. Luke gave Reggie one last shove before following them.

“Ready?” Reggie asked Lucy.

Lucy hesitated a moment, earning a concerned look from Reggie. “After the funeral, can we… can we talk? Just us?” she asked him.

Reggie nodded. “Yeah, sure.” Lucy nodded quickly before taking Reggie’s hand and pulling him along to join her family and their friends.

~*~

A month later, Reggie found himself staring at a familiar figure as he came up the front walk to his house. A huge grin spread across his face as he bounded up his front steps, his backpack tossed aside, and flung himself at his guest. “When did you get here? I wasn’t expecting you for another week!” he asked as he lifted Lucy off her feet and spun her around excitedly. Up to that point, his day had sucked majorly. He’d had a random pop quiz in math and had gotten a test back that he only barely passed. He’d even missed out on getting pizza for lunch and he had hours of homework that he had to try to finish. He was one missed assignment away from his teachers calling his parents and that was never good.

“We never got to talk after the funeral,” Lucy said when Reggie set her back down on the porch.

Reggie raised an eyebrow at her. “You flew all the way back here just to talk to me?” Lucy laughed as she sat down on the step, pulling Reggie with her. The dark haired boy smiled as he sat next to Lucy. He loved the way she laughed and the way she was always finding a reason to touch him. As soon as they were sitting, her head was resting on his shoulder and she was idly tracing the lines on his palm.

“What would you say if I said I did?” she asked him.

Reggie was thankful she wasn’t looking up at him because he was sure he had a huge, goofy grin on his face. “I’d say you’re a totally awesome babe and I’m the luckiest guy in California.”

“Like, such an awesome babe that you’d say you’d, like, go out with me?” she asked.

If it was possible, Reggie’s grin got even wider and probably goofier. He had totally been in love with Lucy Meyerson since he kissed her for the first time three years before. He’d wanted to ask her out so many times but had stopped himself. The whole long distance thing had seemed really weird to him at the time, but not so much when Lucy actually wanted the same thing.

“I mean, totally cool if you’re not into it,” Lucy quickly added. “I just thought maybe since I’m gonna be here full time now and, like, you’re practically the cutest boy I know and -” 

“You’re gonna be here full time?” interrupted Reggie. He gently moved Lucy off his shoulder and turned her so he could see her face. “Like, you’re living here now? With your dad?”

Lucy nodded at him. “My mom took a job in Germany and I thought maybe California would be nice. No snow like back home and a killer music scene. Hear there’s this new, hot rock group making the rounds on the strip.”

“Sunset Curve,” Reggie nodded. “Tell your friends!”

Lucy chuckled. “They say the bass player is a total bad boy. Think he’d go for a bookworm like me?””

“Pretty sure he thinks you’re super hot,” Reggie told her before he leaned in and kissed her. 

“Yo Reggie, you ready for practice?”

Reggie groaned and pulled away from Lucy as Luke and Alex came walking up to his house hand in hand.

“Woah, hey Luce,” Alex stammered, trying to shake his hand free from Luke’s.

Luke rolled his eyes but dropped Alex’s hand. “You two finally hooking up?” he asked Reggie and Lucy with a smirk.

“So, this is new,” Lucy countered as she motioned to him and Alex.

“Oh, uh, what? Nah, there’s… there’s nothing,” Alex stammered, his voice raising the way it did when he was nervous.

“Alex, it’s cool. Now I won’t feel weird being lovey dovey with Reg,” Lucy told the blond boy.

“So how’s this gonna work? You live in the frozen tundra until you need to thaw out,” Luke asked Lucy as he took Alex’s hand again and pulled the blond closer to Reggie’s front steps.

“Not the tundra, Luke. Hollywood. You know, where my dad has that fancy house with the swimming pool you practically lived in last summer?”

“Bro, how sweet is this?” Luke exclaimed, offering Lucy his free hand for a high five.

Lucy laughed and high fived the guitarist. “So practice, huh? I should let you guys get to that. Don’t tell my boyfriend, but I hear your bass player is totally gorgeous.”

“Hear that guys? I’m her boyfriend!” Reggie stated proudly.

“You should come Luce,” Alex suggested, glancing at Luke and then Reggie to gauge their reactions. Reggie, of course, was nodding emphatically. 

“Alex is right. Get ready to have your world rocked by Sunset Curve!” Luke said.

“You know I’ve heard you play before, right?” Lucy pointed out as she stood up.

“Yeah, but we’re so much better now Babe. Luke’s voice finally stopped cracking!” joked Reggie as he stood as well.

“Bro,” Luke groaned in mock annoyance.

“I gotta grab my bass!” Reggie called as he dashed inside, his school bag entirely forgotten.

“I need to call my dad and let him know I’ll be with you guys,” Lucy told Luke and Alex. When the two of them nodded in understanding, she dashed down the steps and to the house next door to use her grandfather’s phone.

~*~

_**2020** _

The Phantoms laid in a heap on the floor of their garage studio, Caleb’s jolts coming faster than they had before. Reggie groaned in agony as he thought about Lucy. To him, it was almost like it was yesterday when they had started dating. The reality of the situation, that twenty-six years had passed and both of them were dead had finally sunk in during his return to the Hollywood Ghost Club.

_ “Everything you want, including Willie, and everyone you’ve been searching for is here.” _ Caleb’s words echoed in Reggie’s mind.

“Do you guys really think Caleb could have gotten to Lucy?” he asked, though it came out as a pained whisper. He felt Luke’s foot knock against his leg. “Do you think she’d sell her soul to him?”

“Lucy’s smarter than that,” Alex groaned just before another jolt ripped through him. “She always was the brains in this group.”

“Alex is right,” grunted Luke as he knocked his foot into Reggie’s leg again. He hoped Reggie saw the contact as reassuring because Luke couldn’t find the energy to do anything else. “Bet she already crossed over where he can’t get her. He’s been playing us since we met him. Don’t let him get in your head, dude.”

“I just… I wish I coulda saw her one more time," sighed Reggie. He had promised her he would see her before Sunset Curve's set at the Orpheum. She'd called him that day and it had sounded urgent but he'd rushed off the call to help the guys load equipment into Bobby's beat up van. "I was supposed to catch up with her before our gig but she hadn't made it before we got those street dogs."

"I'm sorry, Reg," murmured Alex. They all understood how he felt. If he'd had the chance to see Willie one more time, he would jump at the chance. Alex knew it was the same for Luke with Julie. At least he and Luke had been able to say their goodbyes to their crushes this time around. Reggie hadn't had the chance the first time and he definitely wasn't going to before Caleb's stamp drained their energy completely.

"It's… it's better this way." Reggie tried to sound like he believed himself but there was no real conviction behind his words. He repeated himself quietly as the door to the garage opened and Julie walked into the dark studio. He waited until she had finished thanking them to speak. "You're welcome," he groaned. If he couldn't speak to Lucy one last time, he could at least speak to Julie once more before they faded from existence for good.

"Dude!" Luke scolded.

Reggie wanted to shrug him off but he barely had the strength to pull himself into a sitting position. It took all his remaining strength just to focus on what was happening to him in that moment. He ignored the part of him that was urging him to go to Caleb as Julie begged for the same thing. He knew that Lucy would never want him to sell his soul for her sake. And he knew he could never leave his friends, his brothers to disappear forever without him. 

And then it got brighter in the studio and Luke was glowing and he and Julie were touching each other. Julie called him and Alex over. Caught up in a group hug with his band, Reggie felt overwhelmed by everything that had happened in the weeks leading up to that moment. All the joy and anger and sadness and pain hit him at once. He would have collapsed again, he was sure, if he didn't have his family to help support him "I like this," he managed to say through his tears. And then they were hugging again and celebrating finally playing the Orpheum. They were okay and they had time on their side again.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In 1995, Reggie and Lucy share a moment during a rainy night.
> 
> In 2020, Reggie searches for answers and for closure - but does he find it?

**June 1995**

Lucy was used to seeing the upstairs light on at Reggie's house on Friday nights - she spent the weekends at her Grandpa's place just to get extra time in with him and the boys. She hadn't expected that light to be off, even though it was almost midnight when she pulled into the driveway. She also hadn't expected the floodlight in Reggie's backyard to be on. They'd been hit with torrential rain and thunderstorms out of nowhere that day. The young woman fished her umbrella out from her glove compartment, opening it up as soon as she was out of her car. It didn't help much with the force of the rain as she splashed her way into her own backyard, peering over the fence to see what was going on. She heard Reggie before she saw him - a cry followed by the worst curses Reggie could muster. "What in the world are you doing out in this storm Reg?" Lucy shouted at him.

Reggie turned to gape at his girlfriend, hos hair and clothed plastered to his body. Next to him was his dad's took box and an amp. "I needed to fix my amp," he finally explained with a shrug. He shook out his left arm and wiggled his fingers.

"In the rain?" Another shrug was her answer as he threw something in the tool box. "Put it in the garage and get over here, you dork! I can't let Nana's favourite get sick from playing in the rain!" Lucy called out after a quick glance towards Reggie's house. She couldn't hear anything but she could see Reggie's parents through their back window. Another late night fight had driven Reggie to work on his amp in the rain. For one brief moment Lucy wanted to march over there much like her own mother haf when they were kids.

Reggie got up, grabbing the amp and tools, and practically threw them in the garage. He then proceeded to climb over the fence, landing on the Meyersons' side with a squish. "How was the cast party, Babe?" he asked casually. 

"Boring. I wish I'd ditched," Lucy answered after kissing him hello. She then pulled him towards her backdoor. "I can't stand those girls. They're, like, so totally clueless!" Lucy mocked.

Reggie laughed at her imitation of the girls who went to her private school. He reached out and opened the door for her, beaming happily at her. Lucy put a finger to her lips, signaling for him to be as quiet as possible before they entered her kitchen. They kicked off their wet and muddy shoes by the door before making a quiet dash towards the stairs. "Is your aunt here?" Reggie whispered when they reached the upstairs landing.

"Elise is at a conference in New York," Lucy told him as she threw open the door to the linen closet and grabbed several fluffy towels. She motioned for Reggie to follow her into her bedroom. She shut the door behind them and threw one of the towels at him. "Dry off. I'll grab you some sweats and a shirt." 

Reggie couldn't remember exactly when he started keeping spare clothes at the Meyersons' house but he was glad he had. It had saved him on more than one occasion. "So what did your cast have to say tonight?" Reggie asked as he peeled off his soaked flannel shirt, followed by the white tee he had on under it. He heard Lucy grunt in annoyance from inside her closet as he slipped out of his jeans and wrapped himself up in one of the towels. "Band gossip?" He asked as clothes for the both of them came flying out of the closet.

"Michelle and Vanessa saw the last club show you guys did. They told Jessica that you hit on both of them and she lectured me for almost an hour about my delinquent, two-timing boyfriend!" Lucy exclaimed as she appeared in the doorway of her closet.

Reggie just watched as Lucy removed her shirt, his cheeks turning pink. "Oh?" was all he could manage.

"Like, what? I'm not here to stop my boyfriend from being a dork with bad pick up lines. I'm here to love him for him without conditions."

"Wait - what do you mean bad pick up lines?" Reggie demanded, clearly confused and a little offended.

Lucy rolled her eyes before picking up the clean shirt she grabbed for him. "Here's a shirt, size beautiful," she said in her best Reggie voice before tossing the shirt at him. Reggie raised an eyebrow as the shirt landed a foot away from him. "We're Sunset Curve, tell your friends!" Lucy continued, throwing in an exaggerated wink. She slipped her own dry shirt on before removing her bra. "I'm the cutest and I totally shred on the banjo!" She added in her Reggie voice before dissolving into giggles.

Reggie stuck his lower lip out in a pout. "But I do shred on the banjo."

"Of course you do, Babe," agreed Lucy as she shimmied out of her own jeans. She approached Reggie and grabbed another towel. "And I will be the first in line to buy your solo country album when it drops," she added for good measure before she began to towel dry his wet hair.

"And when you have your first big opening night on Broadway, I'll be front and centre for you. I'll tell all my friends," Reggie told her as he took the hair towel from her and tossed it aside with their wet clothes. Lucy made a face at him and brushed his hair back from his face. "We're playing the Orpheum in a few weeks. This is gonna make us huge," Reggie told her. He reached out and brushed some of her hair out of the way like she had done for him. He then cupped her cheek and leaned in to kiss her sweetly. "And you're the only one I want to do it with. I… I love you, too, Luce. And when we make it big and you're a huge Broadway star, I want to marry you - if you want to. I don't care as long as I can just be with you, supporting each other and making the world a better place with our music. I can't think of anyone better to spend my life with than my best friend."

Lucy blinked at him before offering him a sweet smile. "Okay, that was a good line. God, you dork. You're gonna make me cry."

Reggie looked panicked. "No! Don't cry, please!"

"Happy tears, Reg. You're so lucky you're cute," laughed Lucy before she kissed Reggie. She grabbed the towel still wrapped around his shoulders and tugged him toward her bed, their kisses getting needier with each step until they went tumbling onto her bed.

~*~

**2020**

"I can't believe Carrie is Lucy's daughter. I still can't see the resemblance!" Reggie exclaimed as he leaned against the locker next to Julie's. Since the Orpheum, Reggie had taken to visiting Julie at school almost daily.

"Who said Lucy Wilson is Carrie's mom?" Julie asked the ghost without turning away from her locker.

"You said Luce and Bobby got married," Reggie reminded her.

"I never said she was Carrie's mom."

Reggie's brow furrowed in confusion as he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a copy of the picture he'd found in Bobby's house. He'd gone back the morning after the Orpheum and taken the original so Julie could make him a copy. Reggie turned so he was facing Julie. "Bobby, Lucy, and Carrie as a baby," he said as he pointed to each person.

"Check the date. It's from ninety-seven. Two years after you died. Way before Carrie and I were born," Julie stated as she tapped the orange date stamp on tje bottom of the picture.

Reggie's frown deepened. "Then who's the kid? I thought Carrie was an only child!"

Julie quickly checked to see if anyone was around before she placed a hand on Reggie's shoulder. "I wish I knew, Reggie. My mom only ever talked about Lucy."

"Thanks Julie," Reggie mumbled before he poofed away. He needed answers and the only place to get them was at Bobby's ridiculously huge house. There had to be something they missed when they were there to mess with Bobby, especially since they hadn’t actually had a reason to look around. Maybe he could spook some answers out of Bobby while he was there.

Luck was on Reggie’s side for once and he appeared outside the house in time to see Bobby getting into a fancy car by himself. The ghost appeared in the front passenger seat just as Bobby pulled out of the drive, the gate closing behind the vehicle. Reggie relaxed back into the front passenger seat. “I still can’t believe someone like you got someone like Lucy, dude,” Reggie mused aloud even though Bobby couldn’t see or hear him. “First you steal Luke’s lyrics and then you steal my girl. I can’t wait to see what you stole from Alex, man. Gotta have the Sunset Curve trifecta, right?”

Bobby just continued to drive in silence. He hadn’t even bothered to put the radio on, which kind of annoyed Reggie. He was contemplating messing around with the car’s stereo system when Bobby pulled through another set of gates and slowed the car down. Reggie began looking around. He went cold when he realized they were in a cemetery. Bobby navigated the winding road through the cemetery expertly, stopping only when he reached a section set towards the back. He removed his shade and ran a hair through his hair to attempt to make it presentable.

“Bro, you’re a middle aged man in a tracksuit. I think your hair is the least of your worries!” Reggie called as Bobby exited the car. Reggie didn’t hesitate to follow him, either. Julie had said Lucy had died, so it made sense that he might find Bobby heading to a cemetery. At least he was smart enough to realize how lucky he had been to have someone as amazing as Lucy Meyerson in his life. The bassist caught up with his former bandmate just in time to hear Edge of Great playing on the man’s phone.

“This is Rose’s girl, Luce, and her band,” Bobby said as he set his phone down on the headstone. “Carrie says they’re a hologram band but...but there’s no way. It’s just not possible.”

Reggie made to move closer when he caught sight of someone standing just on the other side of the former rhythm guitarist. He knew even without being able to see the person clearly who it was.

“It’s them, Luce. Luke and Alex and Reggie. How can it be them? They died. We were at the funerals. I feel like I’m losing my mind,” Bobby continued. He didn’t even react to the hand that hovered over his shoulder, giving Reggie all the confirmation he needed. He closed the distance between them until he was next to Bobby. “What do I do, Lucy? You always know the right thing to do.”

“He’s not wrong,” Reggie said. He was staring at the ghost standing in front of him and he knew it. But he couldn’t stop. It had been twenty-five years and Lucy still looked like she did when they were both seventeen and had their whole lives ahead of them.

“Reggie.” The woman moved through the headstone and wrapped her arms around him. “I’ve missed you,” she murmured as she clung to him.

“What happened, Lucy?” Reggie asked as he ran a hand through her hair.

“Car accident,” she answered. “Not as fantastically tragic as a bad hot dog but not all of us go out like rock stars.”

“Don’t tell Alex that,” chuckled Reggie. “He’s very touchy about the subject still.”

“So that really was the three of you in that video?”

Reggie nodded. “We’re Julie and the Phantoms.”

“Tell your friends,” added Lucy with a small laugh.

“Always, Babe,” Reggie said before he kissed Lucy, who wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I was sure you would have crossed over a long time ago,” Lucy said after their kiss ended.

“That’s a long story,” Reggie replied.

Lucy smiled at him before she took his hand in hers. “We have lots of time. I wanna hear everything.” She pulled Reggie along until she found a bench in a patch of sunlight. “Knowing you three, I bet it’s been wild.”

“So, we went to this black room and watched Alex cry for twenty-five years,” Reggie started. He told her everything, watching her reactions carefully. He hoped he could still tell what she was thinking, that he could maybe get some answers to the questions that had been nagging at him just by watching her. "And that's it," concluded Reggie.

"Oh Reggie," sighed Lucy as she leaned against him. "I am so sorry you got tangled up in that mess."

"You've heard about the ghost club?"

“I have. I passed on it but I had friends who fell for the con. Not a very well kept secret among Hollywood’s ghosts,” Lucy answered with a shrug.

“Luce,” Reggie said softly. 

“He was there for me, you know? Bobby understood, so I never had to hide with him,” Lucy told Reggie, her voice wavering slightly. “If I had just been there earlier, things might have been different. But I was running late and you guys had already left by the time I got to the Orpheum.”

“But didja have to marry him? The guy doesn’t even eat bacon!” whined Reggie, getting a tearful chuckle from the woman he had loved his whole life.

“I didn’t plan on falling in love with Bobby and I promise that I never stopped loving you, Reg. Moving on from you was never an option,” continued Lucy. She had taken Reggie’s hand in hers and was idly tracing the lines of his palm. It was something she had done so many times that it was soothing to both of them.

Reggie slipped his free hand into his pocket and pulled out his copied picture. “You guys looked happy,” he mused as he looked at it rather than at Lucy. “Did you know he stole all of Luke’s lyrics?”

“Not until it was too late. I had just had a baby and I was all over the place. My dad set him up with a connection in the music industry, helped him reinvent himself as Trevor Wilson instead of that guy who didn’t die from Sunset Curve. Like, I thought it was stupid honestly. He hated that I continued to call him Bobby and not Trevor. And when I finally got to see the finished album, I was angry and I was hurt. We fought a lot about it,” Lucy answered. She pulled back so she could look at Reggie. “So I packed up Gina after our last really bad fight and I left him. I was so angry and I… I forgot my own seatbelt. The other car came out of nowhere, guy had been drinking I guess. They said I died on impact.”

“Luce, I’m… That’s…” stammered Reggie, not sure what to say.

“Babe, I know,” she told him. “It really, really sucks and it really messed Bobby up even more. His best friends died and he was lost and broken. He made stupid choices trying to cope. And then he lost his new family and it almost killed him, too.”

“Our entire neighbourhood is gone,” Reggie said almost bitterly. “If he’d done the right thing, maybe our homes would still be standing.”

Lucy cupped Reggie’s face in her hands. “Reggie, there is so much Bobby’s done that he didn’t have to do, so much you don’t know.”

“He’s the reason you died, how can you defend him?” Reggie asked angrily.

Lucy shook her head. “No Reg, the guy who was driving drunk is the reason I’m dead. Not wearing a seatbelt is why I’m dead.” She let her hands drop before getting up off the bench. “Can I show you something?” she asked. When Reggie nodded, she led him back towards her headstone. Bobby was nowhere to be seen but there was a bouquet resting on the ground in front of it.

“So, what he paid for you to have a fancy tombstone?” Reggie asked as they got closer.

“Yes, he paid for it but not for that reason. God, Reg, stop being such a dork and actually read it,” sighed Lucy.

Reggie made a face at her before looking at the headstone for the first time since he’d gotten there. “I don’t… Luce, what?” he asked as he turned back to her. His last name was written across the stone, his name on the left and Lucy’s on the right.

“He had to bribe your parents and pay for the marker,” she answered.

“But why?”

“I don’t know, but this is what he thought the right thing was, I guess. I told you, he’s lost Reggie. He knew if you were still alive, I’d have been with you. Maybe he thought our souls would be at peace if we were back together.”

“You should be with your daughter,” Reggie said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

Reggie just shrugged and began to dig at the ground with the toe of his shoe. “You said he lost his new family in that crash.”

“Oh,” Lucy said softly. “Oh Reggie, no. I’m sorry, Babe. Gina managed to survive. She lost an arm, but they saved her.”

“So what happened to her? ‘Cause Julie had no idea Bobby had any kids other than Carrie.”

“She went to live with Mama. Bobby was in no condition to take care of a two year old, especially with his solo career just taking off.” She reached over and took the photograph from Reggie’s hand. “Sometimes she comes with Bobby to visit us. Oh Reggie, she’s turned into such a beautiful, accomplished woman. Thanks to Bobby’s support, she’s been able to have some amazing opportunities.”

Reggie just nodded. “She must get all her beauty from you and definitely not Bobby.”

Lucy laughed before she took his hand. “Of course she didn’t get any of Bobby’s looks. He’s not her father, Reggie.”

Reggie went still at Lucy’s words.

“The night you guys were supposed to play the Orpheum, this is what I wanted to tell you Reggie,” Lucy said, squeezing his hand. “I was late because I’d gotten sick as I was getting ready to leave.”

“Lucy.”

“Regina. Her full name is Regina.”

Reggie pulled her into his arms and crushed her against him. He could feel the tears coming but he didn’t care. He’d been torturing himself with all his unanswered questions and now that he finally had answers, he was feeling overwhelmed. Happiness mixed with a deep sense of loss filled him so deeply he felt he might never feel anything else again. “The night I was trying to fix my amp in the rain,” he said. It was the one and only time he and Lucy had gone that far.

“Yeah.”

“Does she know?”

“Of course. Only your parents didn’t believe me,” replied Lucy.

“Better for her not to know them,” Reggie muttered. “Bobby had to bribe them because of that, didn’t he?”

“You know your folks, Babe.”

“Bobby’s been giving her money,” Reggie said.

Lucy nodded. “It doesn’t even begin to make up for how he screwed Luke and Alex, but he’s trying Reg. I hope one day you and the guys can forgive him.”

“They’re gonna lose their minds when they find out,” Reggie laughed before he kissed Lucy again.

“When we find out what?”

Lucy and Reggie looked up to see Luke and Alex appear a few feet away from them. “Every time,” grumbled Lucy, making a face at their two friends.

“Maybe if you guys stopped making out in public,” sassed Luke. He had a huge grin plastered across his face, though, as he watched the two of them. “Dude, you got old.”

“Always so charming Luke. No wonder Alex dumped you,” Lucy told him.

“That was mutual,” muttered Luke with a pout.

“So, you haunt cemeteries Luce?” Alex asked to change the subject.

“Totally,” she answered with a laugh. She pulled away from Reggie only to rush over to Alex and Luke, wrapping them up in a hug. Reggie joined them just behind her, not wanting to miss out on the group hug. “You three need to take care of each other, okay?” she told them before stepping away from the group.

“No way man, Reggie’s your problem now,” teased Luke.

“Hey!” protested Reggie.

“Luce, you’re glowing,” Alex pointed out, ignoring Reggie and Luke’s quiet bickering. They stopped and turned to face Lucy. frowns on their faces.

“Sorry Luke, looks like Reggie’s your problem after all,” she said softly. Lucy smiled fondly at the three musicians.

“Are you crossing over? Is she crossing over?” Luke asked, looking from Lucy to Alex for answers.

“Dude, how would I know?” Alex asked, exasperated.

“This was your unfinished business,” Reggie told his friends. He didn’t know how he knew for certain that finally getting to tell him about their daughter was the only thing Lucy had left to do; he just had a sense of certainty about it.

“I love you, Reggie.”

“I love you, too, Lucy. Always.”

“Luce! If you… If you see Julie’s mom…” Luke started, stopping only as Lucy began to fade away into little glittery balls of light. He didn’t have time to explain who and what he was talking about.

“I will, Luke,” she said knowingly.

“Tell Nana we said ‘hi’,” Alex added.

“Goodbye,” Reggie said just as Lucy had completely faded from view. Luke’s hand was on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

“You okay, Reg?” Alex asked.

Reggie nodded quietly, tears slipping down his cheeks. He was sad and he was also still a little angry, but he also felt a strange calm feeling starting to settle over him. He’d finally gotten to say goodbye to the only girl he’d ever truly loved only to find out there was another young woman in the world who suddenly held a piece of his heart. Lucy had left him with that gift and Reggie would cherish it for the rest of his afterlife. “Yeah, man. I’ll be okay,” Reggie finally answered, smiling apologetically at Alex. He hadn’t meant to answer the question so belatedly.

“You wanna hang out here a while?” Luke asked.

Reggie shook his head. “Let’s go home.”

“So what are we gonna lose our minds about?” Luke asked as the three of them went from the cemetery to their garage studio together.

“I… I think I know what my unfinished business is now,” Reggie started, glancing from Luke to Alex quickly. His two friends just stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language. Reggie took a deep breath. He couldn’t be a hundred percent positive, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his unfinished business was connected to the child he and Lucy never had the chance to raise. “I think I need to meet my daughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this mostly played out the way I originally intended - except for giving it an open kind of ending. I decided to leave it open in case I wanted to continue on with this idea.


End file.
